Transmetropolitan: Year of the Bastard #1

Transmetropolitan: Year of the Bastard was published in 2002 as a one-shot special tied to the conclusion of the critically acclaimed Transmetropolitan series written by Warren Ellis. The issue served as a retrospective look at the origins and early career of the series' antagonist, the U.S. President known as The Beast, providing essential context to the political machinations that defined Spider Jerusalem’s later investigations. It was conceived to flesh out the character’s dark history during the final stretch of the main run.

The interior art was provided by Darick Robertson, the series' definitive illustrator, whose gritty, hyper-detailed cyberpunk aesthetic brought Ellis's cynical political satire to life. The issue was received by fans as a grim, necessary companion piece that underscored the series' themes of power, corruption, and the erosion of truth. Its design maintains the frantic, anarchic visual style that established Transmetropolitan as a hallmark of the Vertigo imprint during the late nineties and early two-thousands.